Roll paper cutter



.w. J. ANDERSON ROLL PAPER CUTTER Filed DeC. 3, 1954 May 7, 1935.

. flI/lll//l/l/llll/l/lllllll//A l Patented May 7, 1935 U'NITEDvsTATEs PATENT OFFICE ROLL PAPER CUTTER William J. Anderson, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor Vof three-fourths to James W.

Angeles, Calif.

McClintoek, Los

Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,743

8 Claims.

may be conveniently engaged between the thumb and ngers to be pulled upward and then torn olf along a tearing edge.

Further objects of my invention are, to gen-1 erally improve upon and simplify'the constructions of the existing forms of paper feeding and cutting devices, further, to'` provide `a device having'means that automatically gripsV the web of paper when the feeding means `is engaged by the thumb or ngers of the operator and further, to provide a device'of the character referred to that will enable the web of 'paper as it unwinds from a roll, to be easily and kconveniently Vthreaded through the gripping and cutting means.

With the foregoing and other objectsv in view my invention consists incertain novel features of construction and arrangements of parts `that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: I

Fig. l is a front elevational view'of'a roll paper cutter constructed in accordance with my invention. L Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line A2 -'2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken approximately on the 'line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and show'- ing the cutter positioned on the rear Vside of a merchandising counter above the holder for a roll of paper.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to Fig. .3 and showing the position of the operating parts ofthe holder when the sameis elongated to feed the end of the web of paper tor a position where it may be engaged between thethumb kand fingers.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 isa vertical section through thecenter of the paper cutter 'and showing a modified construction.

Referring by Vnumerals to theaccompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, le, Ill designate brackets ofl either lwood or metal that are V suitably secured inpupright position on a support, for instance, the rear surface of a-merchandisingcounterC at a (Cl. 242-555) f. point just below the top thereof as illustrated in Fig. 3u Y The front facesrof these brackets occupy inclined positions of approximately twenty or thirty degrees relative to a vertical'plane and secured to said inclined faces, are the ends of a horizontally disposed substantially rectangularpanel II. Secured tothe ends of this panel onthe front face thereof, are end pieces I2, the upper poritions of which project a` short distance above the upper edge of panel II. f 1

Disposed between the upper front corners of the end'pieces lil, is a horizontally disposed rail I3 and formed on the inner faces of the end pieces I2 adjacent their front edges and extending down- Ward from the rail I3, are retaining lips or flanges the end pieces I2.

Passing through the lower portion of panel I5, just above the strip ISand seated in panel II,

' are screws I8 which, after being tightened, are..

backed off approximately a half turn sothat they do not firmly clamp the panel I 5 to panel'l I.

occupying an aperture I 9fthat is formed in the upper central portion of `panel II is expansive spring 2), the rear end of'whicli`f bears against a plate 2| that is secured to the rear sideof. panel II and the front end of this spring presses outwardlyagainst the upper rear portion of panel I5, thereby normally holding said panel in aV slightly inclined position with respect to Vpannelli', as illustrated in Fig. 3.L o Z Suitably secured tothe upper end of panel I5, is a rail 22 and secured to the front face of 4this rail is a longitudinally disposed strip of metal 23 that occupies aninclined position and the lupper edge of this strip' is beveled to form a tearing edge against which the paper is pressed and been pulled vupwardly through the device.

The tearingwstrip 23 occupies `a position directly to the rear of rail I3. Y

Secured to the inner faces Vof the end pieces I2 at the lower ends thereof, are blocks 24 and projecting upwardly from the forward portions .torn off after the suflicient amount of paper' has thereof are lugs 25 having oppositely inclined front and rear faces.

Arranged to slide freely between the end pieces I I to the rear of the retaining flanges I4 and between the front inclined faces of lugs 25 and the underside of rail I3, is a panel 26.

Arranged on the front face of this panel, are brackets 2l, to which is pivoted the lower portion of a hand rail 28, vthe latter being-"provided at its upper end with an outwardly projecting flange 29 for the convenient engagement of the thumb or fingers. Y

Secured to and projecting rearwardly from hand rail 28 adjacent its ends, are shortflngers 30 that project through openings '3I Athat are formed in the upper 4portion of sliding panel 2S.

Arranged to slide freely between the end pieces I2 and disposed between panel 26 and panel I5, is a panel 32. A f

vFormed in the ends of this sliding panel, are short longitudinally disposedA slots 33, through which project pins 34 which are seated in and project rearwardly from the end portions of panel 26. I

The roll of paper that is cut by my improved device andwhich is designated by the letter R, Fig. 3, occupies a suitable container, preferably of the construction illustrated in Fig. 3 and which container is `positioned a suitable distance below the top of the counter-and the cutting device that is mounted thereon.

The web W of paper Vpasses upwardly from `the roll container between the panels 36 and 32 and thenceV upwardly between the tearing strip 23 and rail I3, as shown by dotted line in Fig. 3.

Under normal conditions, the sliding panels 26 and 32, by gravity, remain at their lowermost limit of movement, with the lower ends of said panels resting on the oppositely disposed inclined faces of the lugs 25. When'so positioned the hand rail 28, by gravity, swings outward due to limit of movement and the spring 20 presses panel I5 forwardly to itslimit of movement, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The pressure of the upper edge of strip .23 on the upper end ofthe web of paper grips and holds said paper against the upper edge of rail I3.

To feedthe end of the paper upward a short distance to enable' said end to be grasped between rthe thumb and fingers, the operator places the thumb or fingers beneath the flange 29 of hand rail 28 and applies upward and inward pressure to said hand rail.

As a result of this pressure, the hand rail is swung inwardly toward panel 26, with the result that the rear faces of the fingers 30 press the web Vof paper against the upper portion of sliding panel 32 andas the resistance offered by spring 2U is overcome, the panel I5 will flex rearwardly a short distance until it engages the front faceof panel II This movement of panel I5 carries the Aupper edge of the tearing strip 23 away from stripVv I3 and simultaneous with this manipulation of the hand rail, the same is drawn upward to its limit of movement or until the upper edge of panel 26 engages the underside of 4rail I3, as illustrated in Fig. 4. v

The movements just described grips the web of paper between the fingers 36 and panel 32 and draws said web of paper upwardly so that a short portion thereof projects asubstantial distance above the strip I3 and tearing strip 23.

The projecting end of the web of paper is directly in position between the thumb and fingers of the operators hand and the thumb and fingers are now disengaged from the hand rail 29 and the upper portion of panel I I and the projecting end of the paper is grasped and drawn upward so as to unwind the desired amount of paper from the roll R.

When the desired amount of paper has been withdrawn from the device, a quick movement of the withdrawn portion of the paper toward the counter, will engage -the edge of tearing strip 23 so that the withdrawn portion of the paper is torn off.

Immediately after the thumb or fingers are removed from the hand rail, the sliding panels 26 and 32.will, by gravity, move downward to their limit of movement and as the lower ends of said panels engage the inclined faces of lugs 25,

`the panels will be spread apart so as to permit the Y web of paper to be drawn freely upward as the operator withdraws the desired amount of paper.

As the panels' 26 and 32 fnove downward to their limit of movement, spring 26, which was previously compressedVwill expand and move panel I5 forwardly a short distance until the upper edge of the tearing strip engages the web of paper to clamp the end thereof against the upper edge of strip I3.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a roll paper cutter that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended,

The device while not in usegrips the'end of the web of paper, thereby holdingthe same without anyV of the paper projecting beyond the cutting edge and the initial voperation of the cutter by the thumb 'and lingers ejects a short portion of the end of theweb of paper so that it is ejected and may beconveniently grasped between the thumb and fingers and the desired amount of paperV may then be withdrawn and cut off with practically; one movement of the hand and arm of the operator. f

Under normal conditions with the panels V26 and 32 spaced apart as illustrated in Fig. 3, it is a .comparatively easy matter to thread the end of the web of paper upwardly through the cutter to a point where the end of said web may begrasped between the rail I3 and tearing strip 23, which'gripping action is due to the pressure exerted by vspring 20.

' Under normal conditions or with the parts in position as illustrated in Fig. 3, the space between the panels 26 and 32 tapers in ywidth toward the upper ends of said panels and'thus the fingers 3!! move only a short distance before they engage and press the web of paper against the panel 32. This arrangement tends to reduce the tendency of the web of paper to buckle within the tapered space and results in a proper feed and movement of the paper when the panels 36 andk 32are drawn upward.

y In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 6, the sliding panel 26 and the pivoted hand rail 28 are dispensed with and the paper passes upwardly through the device in front of the sliding panel 32a. When this form of device is used, the thumb or fingers of the operators hand press the web of paper against the sliding panel 32a and the web'of paper and panel are then drawn upwardlyby upward pressure and movement of the thumb or fingers so as to feed the upper end of the web of paperupwardly past the tearing edge so that the projecting end of the paper maybe engaged between the'thumb and fingers and drawn upwardly from the device and then torn off along the tearing edge.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved roll paper cutter may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A roll paper cutter, comprising a frame, a panel secured to said frame, a tearing strip carried by the upper edge of said panel, a rail positioned in the frame in front of said tearing strip, a pair of cooperating panels arranged for sliding movement in the frame in front of said first mentioned panel, a hand rail mounted for swinging movement on the front face o-f the front one of said sliding panels and paper engaging iingers carried by said hand rail and projecting through the front one of said sliding panels.

2. A roll paper cutter as set forth in claim l, andwith means in the lower portion of the frame for spreading said sliding panels apart as they approach their lower `limits of movement.

3. In a roll paper cutter, a frame, a transversely disposed rail in the upper front portion of said frame, a panel having its lower portion Asecured to the lower portion of said frame so that its upper portion may move toward and away from said rail, a spring for normally forcing the upper portion of said panel toward said rail, a tearing strip carried by the upper portion of said panel and normally positioned to the rear of said rail and means arranged for sliding movement in the frame in front of said panel and below said rail for gripping a web of paper and moving the same upwardly between said rail and tearing strip.

4. In a roll paper cutter, a frame, a transversely disposed rail in the upper front portion of said frame, a panel having its lower portion secured to the lower portion of said frame so that its upper portion may move toward and away from said rail, a spring for normally forcing the upper portion of said panel towardsaid rail, a tearing strip carried by the upper portion of said panel and normally positioned to the rear of said rail, a pair of cooperating panels arranged for sliding movement in the frame in front of said first mentioned panel and below said rail and means carried by the front one of said sliding panels for engaging and gripping a web of paper against the rear sliding panels. Y

5. A roll paper cutter as set forth in claim 4, and with means on the lower portions of the ends of said frame for spreading said sliding panels apart as they approach their lower movement.

6. In a roll paper cutter, a frame, a transversely disposed rail in the upper portion of said frame, a member mounted in the upper portion of the frame to move'toward and away from said rail, a tearing strip carried by said member, a spring for yieldingly resisting the movement of said limits 0f y tearing strip carrying member away from said disposed rail in the upper portion of said frame,

a member mounted in the upper portion of the frame to move toward and away from said rail, a tearing strip carried by said member, a spring for yieldingly resisting the movement of said tearing strip carrying member away from said rail, a pair of cooperating panels arranged for sliding movement in the frame below said rail and manually operable means mounted on the front one of said sliding panels for engaging and clamping a web of paper against the rear one of said sliding panels.

8. A roll paper cutter, as set forth in claim l and with means in the lower portions of the ends of said frame for spreading said sliding panels apart as they approach the lower end of their travel. Y

WILLIAM J. ANDERSON. 

